Ex-Senate Leader pledges support for Tinubu, other party candidates in 2027

Former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin has declared support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, pledging to unite aggrieved party leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Folarin made the declaration on Monday when Alli visited him in Ibadan as part of efforts to reconcile party members dissatisfied with the outcome of the APC governorship primary.

Folarin, who was among the party chieftains believed to be aggrieved over the emergence of Alli as the candidate, said he had decided to move forward, expressing confidence that other aggrieved leaders would eventually join hands with the party to secure victory.

Addressing Alli and other supporters in Yoruba, the former lawmaker acknowledged the grievances within the party, arguing that those who felt hurt could not simply be expected to set aside their differences without genuine efforts to address their concerns.

He said, “Only a bastard will be wronged and will not be angry. In the same way, only a bastard will reject apologies from those who wronged him.”

Folarin explained that his disappointment was understandable, having invested 26 years in his ambition to become governor, but said the party could not afford to allow its internal disagreements to jeopardise its electoral chances.

“If you now hold me down and say I shouldn’t be angry, that will be unrealistic,” he said.

He commended Senator Femi Lanlehin and Professor Taoheed Adedoja for their roles in the reconciliation process but argued that their efforts would yield limited results without the involvement of influential leaders who were themselves aggrieved.

According to him, the party must act quickly to resolve its differences before the disagreements cause further damage.

“What do we stand to gain if we allow things to collapse totally?” he asked.

Folarin also acknowledged the contributions of an APC chieftain, Idris, to the reconciliation efforts, saying the need to protect the party’s future had made it necessary for leaders to reconsider their positions.

He urged party members to put the disagreements behind them and focus on the task ahead, stressing that political differences should not prevent members from working towards a common goal.

The former lawmaker disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had appointed him as the coordinator of the APC’s activities in Oyo State, adding that his responsibility extended beyond the presidential election to all party candidates.

“You will notice that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed me as Coordinator of Oyo State. He didn’t ask me to deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only. It is all the candidates,” he said.

Folarin pledged to use his knowledge of the party’s internal dynamics to reach out to aggrieved members across the state’s local government areas.

He, however, warned that the party must address complaints about the treatment of loyal members, lamenting that those who worked for electoral victories were often overlooked when rewards were distributed.

“The reward system in this party, not just in Oyo State, is very bad. When we finish working, the people who did nothing are the ones who get rewarded. That will not happen again. We will not accept it,” he said.

On Alli’s candidacy, Folarin said the manner in which the ticket emerged had contributed to the discontent among some party leaders but maintained that the candidate had the political experience needed for the contest.

He urged Alli to ensure that party members who contributed to the APC’s success were not sidelined.

“Our candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, is a politician. It was the manner in which his candidacy emerged that made some people to be aggrieved. But if we put that aside, he is a politician,” he said.

Folarin added that established party members and newer political actors must combine their efforts to secure victory for the APC in the state.

He also challenged party members to improve on the votes recorded for Tinubu in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election.

“The votes we gave Asiwaju Tinubu in 2023, we must improve on it this time around,” he said.

He assured supporters that he would not take the responsibility entrusted to him lightly, urging them to see the assignment as a collective duty.

“I do not like to fail when I take on a responsibility. The task entrusted to me has also been entrusted to all of us,” he said.

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has challenged Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Bimbo Adekanmbi, to allow security agencies to investigate the killing of an All Progressives Congress (APC) member and alleged attacks on opposition figures in the state.

The organisation made the call while reacting to a statement by the Adekanmbi Campaign Organisation, which accused SSACO and the APC of linking APM members to the incidents.

The controversy followed the killing of an APC member, Ridwan Adeyemi, and alleged attacks on Mrs Tawakalit Alli, wife of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; Hon. Remi Oseni; and Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo in Ibadan on October 7.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO faulted the response of the Adekanmbi Campaign Organisation, insisting that calls for investigations into the incidents should not be dismissed.

The organisation accused the APM campaign of attempting to divert attention from concerns over the safety of APC members and other opposition figures in Oyo State.

It said, “Instead of reining in on their violent goons, allowing the people of Oyo State to live in peace and vote for their preferred candidates in the 2027 elections, APM in Oyo State has been coming up with illogical arguments to explain away their guilt.

”SSACO also challenged Makinde and Adekanmbi to cooperate with security agencies in identifying and prosecuting anyone found responsible for the killing and alleged attacks.

The campaign organisation maintained that political disagreements should not expose residents to violence or threaten their right to support candidates of their choice.

It further alleged that those responsible for the attacks were emboldened by their political sponsors, although it did not provide specific evidence to substantiate the allegation in its statement.

The organisation said the governor had a responsibility to protect residents irrespective of their political affiliations, adding that the preservation of lives should take precedence over partisan interests.

It also recalled that Makinde contested and won the 2019 governorship election as an opposition candidate, arguing that political competition should not be accompanied by violence.

“No resident deserves to die or be attacked because of party affiliation or political choice,” the statement added.
SSACO urged political leaders in the state to exercise restraint and respect the rights of residents as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.

The organisation also expressed confidence in Senator Alli’s proposed Oyo-AHEAD agenda, describing it as the platform through which the senator intends to pursue his vision for the state.
It said no political ambition was worth the life of any indigene or resident of Oyo State.

Victim killed a day before 35th birthday over alleged defection,  urges Oyo elders to caution Makinde, Adekanmbi

An All Progressives Congress (APC) member in Ibadan, Oyo State, Ridwan, popularly known as Paul Moor, has been allegedly macheted to death, with the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation accusing suspected Allied People’s Movement (APM) supporters of carrying out the attack.

The victim was reportedly killed on Friday, a day before his 35th birthday, over his defection from the APM to the APC, according to the campaign organisation.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) condemned the killing and called on elders across Oyo State to intervene to prevent further political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The organisation also urged Governor Seyi Makinde and the APM governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, to caution their supporters against attacks on political opponents.

Expressing outrage over the incident, SSACO said political differences should not cost anyone their life, warning that the state must not be allowed to descend into violence as political activities gather momentum ahead of the elections.

The statement read, “The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) was gripped with horror as an APC member in Ward 6, Ibadan South-West Local Government, Ridwan, popularly known with the nickname Paul Moor, was macheted to death by APM hoodlums on Friday.

“The young man was gruesomely murdered for defecting from APM to APC, only 24 hours to his 35th birthday.”
The organisation described the killing as the latest in a series of alleged attacks on opposition figures in the state within the last two weeks.

It recalled that Senator Alli’s wife, Alhaja Tawakalit Alli, was allegedly attacked during a free medical outreach she organised last week.

SSACO also alleged that Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, the APC candidate for Ibadan North-West/South-West Federal Constituency, was attacked during a campaign, while the campaign train of Hon. Remi Oseni, the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, was also attacked on the same day.

The organisation further alleged that the campaign team of Accord Party governorship candidate, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, was attacked at Molete, Ibadan, during a campaign.

Condemning the reported incidents, SSACO said, “These ugly attacks and killing of opposition members in Oyo State are anti-democratic, senseless and unacceptable.”

It added that the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freedom of association and expression must be respected, irrespective of their political affiliations.

“Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi must always remember this fact. The state must not descend to bloodshed by their directive,” the statement said.

The organisation urged the governor and the APM candidate to prevail on their supporters to desist from violence, stressing that no political ambition justified the killing of a citizen.

It said, “The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation wishes to remind Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi that Oyo State belongs to all citizens and residents, not just APM members.”
SSACO also called on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to investigate the killing, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We call on the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State and other security agencies to fish out these murderers and bring them to justice. Oyo State people deserve a peaceful campaign,” the statement added.

The organisation said Senator Alli would sustain his issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 elections and urged other political parties to embrace peaceful political engagement.